


The Greater Good

by Northern_Lady



Series: Beyond Infinity, After Endgame, Marvel's Never Cease [5]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Advice, Friendship, Mentor/Protégé, Mentors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:40:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28284882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Northern_Lady/pseuds/Northern_Lady
Summary: In a post Endgame world, Peter Parker goes to a neighbor for help. One shot.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Stephen Strange
Series: Beyond Infinity, After Endgame, Marvel's Never Cease [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081475
Kudos: 20





	The Greater Good

**Author's Note:**

> The Beyond Infinity Series began as a collection of Post Endgame stories that could plausibly be part of the same universe but weren't written with specifically that intention. I will be adding more stories to the series that belong in this AU of mine and will continue with some plot threads.

Dr Stephen Strange didn’t get a lot of visitors at 177b Bleecker Street so the knocking on his door took him a little by surprise. The person he found on the other side of the door was equally surprising. 

“Peter Parker?” Strange said. He hadn’t seen the kid since the final battle against Thanos a month earlier. “What happened?” Clearly something had happened. The kid was bruised and bleeding. His mask was off, his suit was torn, his hair askew. 

“I’m sorry to come here like this Mr. Strange- I mean Dr Strange. You only live like a mile from my house and since Mr Stark is gone and Captain Rogers and Ms Romanov… and Happy doesn’t answer my calls and...I didn’t know where else to go.” 

“For what? What happened?” It wasn’t clear to him why this kid thought he would help, given how their last meeting had gone but he figured he might as well hear him out. It might be important. 

“Well there’s this guy Nathaniel Essex and well that’s his real name but I guess his villain name is Mr Sinister. And he had this school for mutants but he wasn’t helping the kids there, he was just trying to take all their powers for himself. I only found out because I have really sensitive hearing and I heard the screaming in their soundproof laboratory.” Peter was spilling out information with worry. “I broke in there and let a lot of the kids out a couple weeks ago but Essex was pretty mad about that. I guess I ruined his evil plan or something. One of the kids that I let out… he wants her back. And there’s no way that I would even consider bringing that kid back except he has Aunt May now and I couldn’t stop him from taking her. He’s too powerful…” 

“Look, my duty is to the Sanctum…” Stephen began but didn’t have the heart to continue. The kid looked scared. He was clearly in over his head. Stephen was pretty sure he had Bruce Banner’s number somewhere. Banner would help. Maybe. 

“I know. I know,” Peter quickly acknowledged. “I’m not asking you to leave your duties.” 

“You just said he was too powerful. If you didn’t come here for help, then what did you come for?” 

“I came cause...I remember you seem to know which things are for the greater good and which ones aren’t,” Peter explained a little sadly. “The girl he wants back, Ellie, has the ability to absorb kinetic energy. If she gets hit by a bus, she can punch someone as hard as a bus would hit. If someone drops a bomb on her...well you get the point. Sinister is already pretty powerful even without Ellie. I figure I can either help Ellie hide and make sure Sinister never finds her and then try to free Aunt May. Or I can make the trade so I can get close enough to try and break out Aunt May and then double cross him and take Ellie back too. I think either way...I’m probably gonna die, but do I die to free Aunt May or die to keep Sinister from getting Ellie’s powers? I need to know because I’m having a hard time deciding which one is more important.” 

Stephen sighed. “I think you already know the answer to that, kid. You don’t need me to justify it for you.” 

Peter nodded, “The greater good,” he said sadly, making an effort not to start crying. 

“But you’re not gonna die,” Stephen said as the cloak of levitation floated onto his shoulders and he stepped outside to join Peter. “I’m coming with you.” 

“But you said...the Sanctum?” Peter was pleased but confused. 

“Wong is here. The Sanctum will be fine. Right now I have more important things to do.” Stephen said. 

Peter brightened a little at this news. “Thanks Dr Strange. You know, I wondered, is that really your name?” 

“Actually, it is.” He said as they walked, Peter led the way. 

“Oh. That must have been terrible as a kid.” 

Stephen was not about to rehash his childhood experiences with bullies with this kid. “It wasn’t great,” was all he said. 

“It’s bad enough when the kids are mean because you’re smarter than they are. Then to have a name they don’t like on top of it,” Peter chattered on. 

Stephen stopped walking and regarded him curiously. “That happen to you a lot?” 

“Not a lot but I have been called a geek and not in a good way. It doesn’t matter though. There are more important things to worry about.” 

Stephen had been one of the smart kids too. He had memorized every book he read and other kids had made fun of his intellect too. He was starting to see why Stark had been so attached to this kid. Peter was smart and powerful and was invested in doing the right thing. He was still young though. Perhaps he did still need a mentor. Perhaps it was for the best that they only lived a mile apart. 

“Right, like stopping this Sinister guy and getting your Aunt,” he pointed out. “Just to be clear, when we’re done here, if you need help again, just to decide the greater good or to help fight the bad guys, you know where I live,” Stephen offered. 

“So you just leave Wong to take care of the Sanctum whenever something comes up?” Peter asked. 

“Whenever something important comes up.” Stephen clarified. He was pretty sure that helping Spiderman might be one of the more important things he would do. They would free his Aunt and deal with Sinister. He wasn’t worried about that. He was more concerned about what might happen to Parker if he wasn’t there the next time he knocked on his door. Stephen decided he would sure to always let Peter in. It would be for the greater good.


End file.
